Who Gives a Shit?
by ohmytheon
Summary: When Roy and Edward are trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building, Roy must come to terms with the fact that he might actually give a damn about the kid on his team.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:** We all know how much I love parental!Royed, so luckily I get a lot of prompts for them. I started on this last night when my computer suddenly died and I lost it halfway through, so I took a break and wrote it again today. It feels much better.

 **Disclaimer:** Nope, not a cent of this is mine.

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 **Who Gives a Shit?**

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Coughing against his arm, Roy examined what little he could of the area. The collapsed building around him didn't leave him much room to see, but it was enough for him to know that they were trapped. There was almost no light, the slabs of broken concrete sealing them in and hiding them from the sun. Somehow, a backup generator must have still been running, but just barely, as a single dull light bulb flickered, dangling precariously on a wire. He could use flame alchemy to produce a small flame of light, but that would only manage to suck up the small amount of oxygen they had left.

At least the other person behind him wasn't using up a lot of oxygen. If any.

Breathing through his nose to calm himself down, Roy peered back at the small red-coated figure lying prone on the ground. When he had first come to, he'd thought he was alone, until he'd stood up and bumped into the soft form. Another careful nudge hit metal and confirmed his fears.

His immediate thought was to scratch some sort of transmutation circle into the concrete, one of his old days of schooling. He had to get them out of here. Who knew what kind of injuries the boy had sustained? But Roy wasn't completely familiar with stone or metal alchemy. At least nothing so sophisticated that it would repair the building to brand new leaving them safe and untouched inside. If he messed up in the slightest, he might only manage to make things much worse for them.

Roy was an incredible, powerful, and talented alchemist – but he was much better at destroying than creating in the end.

Since realizing his defeat, he had done his best to ignore the still figure behind him. Every time his eyes roamed over to that area, he would jerk them away. He spent the time searching for any weak spot in the fallen rubble, banging on a pipe in Morse code, and flicking at the lightbulb whenever it went out. When he got frustrated, a fire would rage inside of him. It took a huge amount of strength not to just blast his way out, but he knew that there were so many ways the explosion could turn back on him. And so he waited.

Eventually though, he knew that he could not ignore the severity of the situation. Turning his attention back to the prone body, Roy dragged himself over there and crouched down. When he pressed two fingers on his neck, he found a steady pulse, if not a little slow. Holding a hand in front of the boy's mouth, a shallow puff of air brushed against his palm. So he was alive at least, although unconscious.

Roy gently rolled the boy onto his back and frowned as his head flopped to the side. It was sometimes hard for him to remember that this State Alchemist was just a child. He got himself into so much shit. It reminded Roy of his own time at the Academy, when he would throw himself into the middle of the fight to protect someone that he didn't even know. That had literally got him into shit, stuck with latrine duty for a week while sporting a shiner. This little asshole was no different. He acted like he had to fight the world and he had the alchemy talent to do so.

But looking at him now, Roy didn't see the extraordinary and impossible Fullmetal Alchemist. All he could see was a boy. Roy blinked in surprise. He hadn't seen Edward look so young since he and Riza had shown up on their doorstep and found a half of a broken, little boy in a wheelchair and his armored-bound brother. It was…startling, perhaps even more so than the blood that matted his golden hair and caked his face.

Roy licked at his dirty sleeve and began to wipe the blood off of Edward's face. It wasn't much, but it got the worst of it off. At least he didn't look entirely like he was dead. Slowly, he moved Edward's head and pushed his hair aside so that he could assess the wound. The lighting was too poor, so he could only make out a jagged cut. A quick glance around helped him fight a rock with some blood on it, probably the source of the injury and Edward's unconsciousness.

Edward groaned suddenly, almost making Roy drop his head. He mumbled something under his breath, but his eyes were still shut. Maybe he was coming to, but most likely, he was still out of it. At least he was talking, even if it was gibberish. Roy went completely tense though when Edward reached out and grabbed at his sleeve. A part of him wanted to peel the kid's fingers off of him, but another part, perhaps stronger and more volatile, felt the urge to pull the boy closer to him. That was a confusing though.

Roy would never confess to being good with kids, although Riza insisted that he was, but Edward wasn't a kid, not really. He was a State Alchemist and more importantly one of Roy's subordinates. He wasn't supposed to care about his subordinates in such a way, not when he had to give them commands that could lead them directly into danger.

(Of course, he had never been good at not caring about the people serving under him. His heart still managed to leap whenever Riza smiled at him. He should have known that taking some temperamental boy under his wing would only cause him grief.)

"Don't you die on me," Roy grumbled as he looked down on Edward. "I don't want to deal with the paperwork."

Not to mention that it would be such a waste. So many people, in and out of the military, were astounded by Edward's feats. A State Alchemist at a mere twelve years of age was unheard of, not to mention that garnered him the rank of Major in the military. His potential was astounding. Already at thirteen, his accomplishments reflected such a bright light on the man that had found him and brought him into the program. Even when he threw a fit and complained like the teenage kid that he was, he always brought good results and did his job, which helped Roy in return.

Such a waste of potential…for hope too. For the good of the future. Roy could not exactly say when he'd started to examine the missions he was given more carefully, picking out the ones that he knew might help the Elric brothers on their quest to gain their bodies back in some way. One second, he had been considering Edward's potential to help him in his goals and the next he was trying to figure out how to help Edward with his own goals. Missions that he would've tossed Edward's way before suddenly didn't seem good enough or appropriate and he used every excuse in the book to reason why he gave them some mission out of the ordinary.

If something were to happen now, if Edward were to be seriously injured because of some ridiculous mistake, Roy didn't know if he'd be able to forgive himself. He was starting to not be able to envision a future without this boy in it. He thought of Edward's bursts of rage and Alphonse's attempts to calm him down. He looked forward to Edward's straightforwardness, even if it meant breaking a few rules, and Alphonse's earnest and good nature. There were never any games with the two of them. They were who they were and Roy wanted – no, needed – that if he was going to make it to the top.

Not only that, but looking at Edward now, Roy saw a boy that lost his parents at too young of an age. He fought constantly because it was the only way he knew how to survive. He couldn't give up. He had to fight away the grief when his father up and left, the loneliness and defeat when his mother died, the fear and horror when Alphonse's body and his own leg and arm were taken from him, the pain during his automail surgery and rehabilitation, the struggles of being a child in the military… Edward's life was a fight.

And if anyone could understand that, it was Roy. After all, he had lost both of his parents around the same age that Edward had lost his. He understood the gaping hole that losing a parent could cause in one's soul. His own memories of his parents were foggy and distant at best. It was a struggle to recall them after so long. Roy knew what it was like to be alone. He was lucky to have had his Aunt Chris find him in the orphanage and taken him in, just as Edward was lucky to have had Pinako. Both of them were lucky to have found alchemy teachers and were surrounded by people that loved and supported them. Where would Edward be without his brother and Winry? Where would Roy be without Riza?

Where would either of them be without each other?

Would Edward have eventually found his way into the military? Would he have found the inspiration to fight back and search for the Philosopher's Stone? Would Roy have learned to see beyond the scope of his own goals? Would he have realized that he was capable of giving a damn about someone else's life, dreams, and hopes?

Oh, he'd deny it if anyone were to bring it up, of course, but honestly, he had come to realize that this kid and his brother meant a lot to him. When Edward came back to give his report, Roy was lean back in a slight hint of relief, even if Edward was a little more bruised than usual and Alphonse spotted a few new scratches on his metal form. Seeing Edward like this now, unconscious and bleeding, grasping pitifully at Roy's sleeve, brought all those fears and thoughts rushing to the forefront and it kind of pissed him off.

How dare this pipsqueak make Roy care about him? He wasn't Edward's father. He was his commanding officer. Roy wasn't supposed to sit here in worry over his subordinate. He wasn't supposed to want to hold onto him like Edward was a child. He wasn't supposed to panic and feel the strange urge to hope that things would be okay.

"I swear, Fullmetal, the second you're better, I'm sending you on the farthest mission away." Roy shook his head. He'd send the kid all the way to the West. That would put miles in between the two of them – and then he'd probably spend at least an hour every day wondering how the Elrics were handling and knowing that there was little he could do to help if they did need anything. "How do you manage to be a frustrating little shit even when you're unconscious? That's a talent in itself."

Edward had to be okay though. He had to be. He had to stay alive to fulfill his goals. He had to stay alive to get his and Alphonse's bodies back. Roy was not going to let him die in this stupid hole. He was going to get Edward out even if it meant clawing through the concrete rubble with his bare fingers. Giving up was not in either of their natures. Alchemists didn't give up. They just found a way around the problem. They created solutions.

After gently prying Edward off of him and lying him back on the ground, Roy stood and pushed his sleeves up. Everything be damned, he was not going to lie around and wait for rescue while Edward could potentially bleed to death or die from any other internal injuries. He cared too much to do that and realizing that irritated him to hell and back. It was just enough irritation though to spike Roy's fire again and get his mind back on track. They were getting out of here. Edward would be fine. Roy would make sure of that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:** Okay, so it's not exactly like the prompt, but I got really inspired and managed to crank this out while at a coffee shop waiting for my laundry to get finished. I'm also happy since a few people have asked for this before and I didn't think I would ever write it, but here's the second part. Because I am weak for parental!Royed if nothing else. I don't think you have to really read the first one to understand this one though. It's kind of self-explanatory.

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By the time they managed to drag Roy and Edward out from underneath the rubble, they were looking more than a little worse for wear. Roy was covered in scratches, bruises, and dirt from slowly blasting his way through all the debris that had collapsed around them. It had had been difficult and extremely dangerous, considering that one wrong move could have caused the rest of the rubble to fall and crush them or maybe even an explosion, but he had worked painstakingly, forcing his way through until there had been enough space for him to scrape his hand through a hole and into the air.

Honestly, Riza could not remember the air tasting so sweet as it did the moment she heard someone shout out that Roy had been found, even though dust had been all around them.

They'd spent hours attempting to dig through the debris, but because it lied so precariously, they were forced to go slow and be just as patient. It had been a real fear that they might kill Roy and Edward in the attempt to rescue them. No doubt Roy had thought the same thing. When they'd started to hear muffled booms and thuds from underneath and even felt the broken concrete shift from under their feet, they could only think of the worst. Roy's alchemy would have been volatile at best to use down there if he was conscious. She didn't need to know flame alchemy to know that and of course Roy knew the same thing.

The fact that he had used it anyways, even in the most controlled way, meant that he had been desperate.

"Colonel, are you alright?" Breda asked as they pulled piece after piece of concrete away.

"I'm fine!" Roy called back, his voice still muffled. They couldn't see him now. He had pulled his hand back so that they could safely make an opening for him. "Edward needs medical attention right away though! He was knocked unconscious."

Riza waved a signal to Fuery, who nodded and immediately dashed off to gather the nearest medics who were tending to any other survivors. She glanced back at the slowly enlarging hole. It would've taken an idiot to miss the obvious concern in Roy's face, but perhaps she was the only one to catch the hint of fear in it as well. Not for himself, of course, but for the young alchemist that served underneath him. Most people thought that Roy didn't give a damn for Edward except to use him in order to further his own ambitions, but Riza knew differently.

The tell, of course, was Roy's use of Edward's name. He almost never used it, opting for Edward's State Alchemist title or maybe even "Ed" sometimes.

Finally, finally, after what felt like hours, a large enough hole was made and they were able to reach down to haul Roy out of there. But Roy waved them away and lifted Edward up first. It was an awkward angle and Roy strained to do so, his arms trembling from exhaustion while sweat and dirt covered his red face, especially since two of Edward's limbs were made of heavy automail. He'd been working for at least an hour to get them to the surface, so it stood that he had little to no strength left in him, and yet he was using every last bit of it to protect Edward.

As carefully as they could, Breda and Havoc reached down to lift Edward out of Roy's arms. The moment the weight was taken away from him, Roy visibly sagged and almost fell back down in the hole again, but Riza reached forward and snatched him by the arm. He looked up into her eyes, haggard and worn down, but she could only think about how much she loved him in this moment.

A tiny lopsided grin quirked onto his lips. Even that managed to look tired. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Lieutenant."

Tears threatened to well in her eyes, but Riza shut them down. "You're lucky I'm a patient woman, sir."

With Falman's help, the two of them were able to pull Roy out of the hole. He staggered forward, collapsing against her slightly, but still standing. She didn't care if it looked inappropriate. The man could barely stand and she didn't want to let go of him for anything. She wrapped an arm around him, gripping him tightly with both hands, and they helped Roy walk through the mess of debris.

Even though he looked like he was ready to pass out right then and there, Roy swiveled his head around. "Where is Edward?" But before she could say anything, he spotted the paramedics hovering over the blonde alchemist, Alphonse standing behind them nervously. Roy jerked his way in that direction, despite both Riza's and Falman's protests. "If I need any medical attention, the medics are right there with him, are they not?"

Riza clamped her mouth down shut. There would be no persuading him. Once his mind latched onto something this strongly, it would take knocking him unconscious to get him to stop and more than likely his body would do just that soon enough. If he had been stronger, Roy would've dragged them over there, but despite his insistence, it was more like the two of his subordinates dragging him there. His feet could barely make it off the ground. When he finally reached them, his legs began to buckle, but he refused to be lowered down. He wanted to look strong, even if he didn't feel it.

"C-Colonel!" Alphonse gasped upon their arrival. "You should be getting looked over!"

"I'm fine," Roy assured gently, a smile on his face. It didn't look nearly as tired as the one before, but the strain was in his eyes nonetheless. He was trying to look strong for Alphonse.

Alphonse teetered on his feet, somehow managing to look anxious for a suit of armor. "But…you're bleeding in so many places and…you must be so tired from using alchemy like that for so long…"

"I've been through worst, trust me," Roy told him. Riza pursed her lips. He may not have been lying about that, but she still didn't like it. Just because he'd been through worse did not mean he wasn't in need of help. His gazed went down to the medics looking over Edward. "What's his condition?"

"Stable," the female paramedic stated, sounding relieved. "We won't know if there is any internal bleeding until he's taken to the hospital, but from what I can see, he only has a broken arm, concussion, and some minor cuts and bruises." The paramedic glanced up at Roy, curiosity in her eyes. "The head wound could've bled out, considering the depth, but it appears to have been…"

"Cauterized," Roy said in a stiff voice, pulling away slightly. "He'll be pissed when he wakes up that a bit of his hair was burnt in the process."

The paramedic blinked for a second, confusion written on her face, until she caught sight of the now gray and brown gloves on Roy's hands. Then her eyes widened and she returned her attention back to her patient. Riza bit her lip, watching as Roy's own eyes grew distant for a moment. He had burned Edward's wound in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. It had worked. If he hadn't done so, Edward could have been in a lot worse shape. But she knew that he was also remembering the last time he had burned someone whom he cared for.

When Riza slipped her hand into his to squeeze it tightly once, Roy looked up at her. She smiled at him, trying to convey how grateful she was for him - for what he had done for her then and for Edward now. Roy merely nodded his head to himself as so many thoughts swirled around in his brain. She'd caught the guilt in his eyes. He would act flippant about it when Edward woke up, maybe even teasing him, as Edward would be aghast, but right now, what he had been forced to do weighed on him heavily.

Once the paramedic left to attend to another survivor while another went to find a gurney so that Edward could be loaded into an ambulance, Roy's legs finally gave out and they were forced to lower him to the ground. Riza nodded to Falman, who went off to rejoin the rescue group, while she and Alphonse stayed with the two State Alchemists.

"Is Brother going to be alright?" Alphonse asked.

"Yes," Roy sighed, the exhaustion all too evident in his voice now. His body was beginning to give in.

Alphonse balled his hands tightly into fists. "Thank you, Colonel. I know Brother might be stubborn about saying it, but… You saved his life."

Roy shook his head. "I didn't do much except blow up a few things. The rescue team did most of the work."

Despite being dismissive and playing down his role in the matter, Alphonse's silence told her that he didn't believe the Colonel and honestly she didn't either. The way Roy was leaning against her now said just how tired he was and how hard he had worked to get the both of them rescued.

Without warning, Roy's hand creeped out and hovered over top of Edward, just a few inches away from his head, like he wanted to push his dirty blonde hair of his face and examine the wound again. She noted the way his hand slightly trembled, but this time she couldn't tell if it was because he was tired or scared. She could only imagine how he had felt trapped down there in the dark underneath all that concrete, alone with an unconscious kid. Because whether he thought about it or not, that was what Edward was, State Alchemist or no. Roy had come very close to losing a child that was under his care and it had frightened him in a way he hadn't considered before.

Slowly pulling his hand back and letting it fall to the ground, Roy turned his gaze to her. _He will be okay, won't he?_ his eyes seemed to ask.

When Riza nodded her head, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She had never seen him look so afraid before, not even when they had been in Ishval and she had watched him almost die. The only time that came close to this was the second after he burned her back. Back then, it had been his own doing. This time, the circumstances were completely out of his control.

And all alchemists loathed when things were out of their control.

"Sir, we need to get you looked at," Riza told him, now that his concerns were mostly assuaged.

"Yes, of course," Roy said, his eyes back on Edward and distant, his mind still down in that dark hole. He didn't move until the paramedics came to take Edward away and only allowed someone to look at him after the ambulance drove off into the distance towards the hospital. He leaned against her, eyes closed, muttering responses to the medic examining him as another attended to his various wounds. He would pretend none of the fear and concern he had displayed existed later on, but for now, it was all he could do to hold it at bay. Riza knew the truth when she saw it, especially when it came to him.


End file.
